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Doc Democracy

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  1. Like
    Doc Democracy reacted to Gauntlet in Always on- for Invisibility   
    I agree, I was just giving the option for GMs that wish to have absolutely everything written up (i.e. make everything as complicated as possible). I have seen some GMs, even rather GOOD ONES, that have a like for number crunching.
  2. Haha
    Doc Democracy reacted to LoneWolf in Always on- for Invisibility   
    Biometric devices will not work for the character.  That could prevent him from accessing restricted areas or verifying his identity.  A voice scan would work, but things like facial recognition or fingerprint scanning will not work.  He will need a password to unlock a smart phone or have to leave it with no security.  That would also prevent many of the heath monitoring function of a phone or even more sophisticated devices from working.
     
    Medical care is going to be a lot more difficult to perform on the character. He could get something like skin cancer and not even know it.  Doing surgery on him is going to be next to impossible. Even putting in an IV is going to be difficult. A low point regeneration would be highly recommended.
     
    Many social interactions are going to be more difficult. For example, if he is accused of a crime, he might have a difficult time proving he was not there.   So, you say you were at home at the time of the murder?  Did anyone see your there?  No detective no one saw me.  The witnesses swear they never saw anyone shoot the victim, sounds like the killer was invisible.
     
    Another huge drawback is it means the character cannot maintain a secret ID.   
     
    This is just off the top of my head.  Given enough time I could probably find a lot more drawbacks.
  3. Like
    Doc Democracy got a reaction from LoneWolf in Stunned without losing STUN?   
    There was the Mental paralysis power in third edition I think.  My players hated it.  If they got the hint a villain had that power, they became priority number one - every attack on every action on that villain until he (or she) was no longer moving....
  4. Like
    Doc Democracy got a reaction from Christopher R Taylor in Stunned without losing STUN?   
    There was the Mental paralysis power in third edition I think.  My players hated it.  If they got the hint a villain had that power, they became priority number one - every attack on every action on that villain until he (or she) was no longer moving....
  5. Like
    Doc Democracy got a reaction from Ragitsu in A Thread For Random RPG Musings   
    Why not just move forward and have technology alongside the other trappings of fantasy?
     
    It just feels wrong for fantasy magic to be "science".
     
    In Glorantha, there is no germ theory, disease is caused by disease spirits. I have increasingly refused to allow magic to be used in scientific ways, or for scientific principles to reliably reproduce results. 🙂
     
     
  6. Like
    Doc Democracy reacted to LoneWolf in Help with converting third edition description into actual mechanical statistics   
    You already have the mechanics of how it works.  The attacking character makes a DEX roll and if he fails the attack loses 15 active points per point he failed by. Why do you need to write it up any further?  This does not look like it was written up with points under 3rd edition, so why does it need to be written up in later editions.  Unless this is something a PC wants his character to use, or an NPC is using something like a VPP for it, it does not need to be formally written up.  
  7. Like
    Doc Democracy reacted to LoneWolf in Leaping language...   
    It seems to me the extra time should be in segments not phases.  Unlike other movements a leap cannot be altered while in progress, so characters SPD should not affect the velocity.  As it is a character with a lower SPD is traveling at a much slower real velocity than that of a higher SPD.  A leaping character also only pays END in the phase they start the leap.  If that is the case why should a lower SPD character take longer to make the leap?  They are exerting the same amount of effort.  On other movement a higher SPD translates into covering more distance but costs more END.  That is not the case with leap.  
  8. Thanks
    Doc Democracy got a reaction from Scott Ruggels in Leaping language...   
    I am uncomfortable about the taking no actions during this time.  I like the idea of a character leaping across a chasm while firing at opponents, this rule would prevent that.  I can accept that actions might be limited and may be harder, but being able to do nothing while soaring through the air feels wrong.
     
    I share your confusion about the statements.  I think I would have the additional time for non-combat doubling be a suggested limitation for colour, possibly the second clause should say, every additional (or purchased) doubling purchased adds a phase, that makes it a reiteration of the first clause.
  9. Like
    Doc Democracy reacted to Grailknight in Stunned without losing STUN?   
    As Hyper-man cites, Change Environment has this as an optional effect.
     
    You can also do this as an Entangle that deteriorates rapidly. 
     
    But I think the best way would be as a Presence Attack.
  10. Like
    Doc Democracy reacted to GoldenAge in Best Way To Destroy An Automaton   
    Update: The battle went well - I kept their original defenses, their only limitation was a singleminded approach towards attacking "themselves) - eliminating the many bonuses that come from tactics and multiple attackers)
    Epic Alliance were on their heels for a moment, then got their bearings and strategy together. The castled to take advantage of the doppelgängers enraged state, they englobed with Barrier, entangled, grabbed and blinded their doppelgängers - The ultimate result was multiple called shot heads against entangled or bind opponents. Epic Alliance overcame the problem in shining fashion.

    It was very interesting watching them overcome their codes against killing and utilize their powers in new ways.

    Thanks all!!!
  11. Like
    Doc Democracy got a reaction from GoldenAge in Best Way To Destroy An Automaton   
    That is presuming that they aren't falling onto broken ground, sharp edges. 🙂
     
    I would be looking to find ways of dropping, pushing, pulling the doppelgangers onto sharp/edged surfaces.  Change velocity into killing damage.
  12. Thanks
    Doc Democracy reacted to Lord Liaden in Economics and Superhumans   
    Honestly, I had that concern myself. More dialogue can and should be had, and I'd love to read it. I'd hate to think someone wouldn't present their own ideas just because I transcribed all this stuff.
     
    But I also didn't want to avoid highlighting how much the Champions setting explores the implications of super-technology and super powers on society, particularly economics, as your topic requested. It covers the subject more thoroughly and logically than I've seen anywhere else, and offers much for supers GMs to consider.
     
    This is another example of material I had collated for the benefit of the Champions Online community, and having it all handy I couldn't justify to myself not sharing it. Believe it or not, I actually left some less relevant things out.
  13. Like
    Doc Democracy reacted to Steve in Economics and Superhumans   
    I’m overwhelmed by LL’s responses, but I also worry if he’s shut down any conversation that might happen by being so thorough about Champions Earth.
  14. Like
    Doc Democracy reacted to LoneWolf in How to Build: "Accidental Exile" Complication   
    The problem with using extra dimensional movement is this is something that negatively affects the character that only occurs or rare occasions under specific circumstances.  Making the characters pay for something that hinders them makes no sense.  You could use the side effect limitation but that gets a lot more complicated.  To do it properly you need to put a limitation on a limitation.  While this is something that can be done it will be confusing.  Using a complication is a clean simple solution. 
     
    The special effect is actually extra dimensional movement, but you can use a complication as the game mechanic. 
  15. Like
    Doc Democracy got a reaction from Sketchpad in How to Build: "Accidental Exile" Complication   
    I would be ambivalent about it.  It would be an opportunity - bluebooking the Microverse, it would be a mini-series in a comic book, not a trauma event.
     
    If me and the player had discussed it, and nothing like this should be done without that kind of discussion, then it is relatively minor.  I would have the player pull out a pre-prepared alternate PC for the duration.  I would pull out the pre-prepared scenario about finding MicroLad.
     
    It would shake things up a bit.
     
    With an NPC then it is even less so.
     
    All in my incredibly humble opinion, of course.
     
    Doc
  16. Like
    Doc Democracy reacted to tkdguy in A Thread For Random RPG Musings   
    I've built up a collection of resources over the years: not just sourcebooks and adventures, but also writings, homemade maps, downloads, etc. But I've also forgotten or misplaced a lot of what I have, mainly due to disuse and disorganized bookkeeping. As a result, I tend to reinvent the wheel a few times instead of recycling what I've already got. Worse, I usually can't find what you need when I look for it.
     
    My next project will be organizing my stuff so I can find what I want without having to go over everything with a fine-toothed comb. It will also save me a lot of time and effort when I need to add details to my homebrew campaigns.
  17. Like
    Doc Democracy reacted to unclevlad in How to Build: "Accidental Exile" Complication   
    Extreme Physical Limitation.  Wrote up this one:
     
    Phys. Lim.:  When fully shrunk, 8- to fall into the microverse for 1d6 weeks (Infrequently; Fully Impairing)
     
    Or, alternately, Extreme Side Effect.  Extreme starts at -1.  If it always happened, it'd go to -2.  OK, so for something intermediate...happens on an 8- might be another -1/4, 11- another -1/2.  You're saying the NPC's power simply does this sometimes, and he's got no control...so I'm taking the additional -1 for "it always happens" and reducing it based on how often it happens.
     
     
  18. Like
    Doc Democracy reacted to LoneWolf in How to Build: "Accidental Exile" Complication   
    I would use Accidental Change for this.  Depending on how often he shrinks down to the dangerous size it would be worth about 5-10 point on an 8 or less roll.  The change is that he goes to the other universe.
  19. Like
    Doc Democracy reacted to Sketchpad in How to Build: "Accidental Exile" Complication   
    Some interesting ideas overall, folks. I agree with Doc about the paying points bit. All three of these solutions are pretty cool and have given me something to think about. Didn't even think about using Accidental Change. 
  20. Like
    Doc Democracy got a reaction from Duke Bushido in How to Build: "Accidental Exile" Complication   
    @Grailknight has made a good suggestion but it feels off to me if the NPC has to pay points for something that complicates their life or disadvantages them.
     
    I would be more inclined to make it a custom complication.  It might be a small value one, maybe five points, when using full shrinking, on an 8 or less he gets trapped in the Microverse for 1D6 weeks.
  21. Like
    Doc Democracy got a reaction from Sketchpad in How to Build: "Accidental Exile" Complication   
    @Grailknight has made a good suggestion but it feels off to me if the NPC has to pay points for something that complicates their life or disadvantages them.
     
    I would be more inclined to make it a custom complication.  It might be a small value one, maybe five points, when using full shrinking, on an 8 or less he gets trapped in the Microverse for 1D6 weeks.
  22. Like
    Doc Democracy reacted to Gauntlet in It's a matter of balance   
    And that pretty much is the same for all versions of Hero. Technically, as long as you are not worried about point values and worths, you can have a character made from 1st edition play in a 6th edition game.
  23. Like
    Doc Democracy reacted to Lord Liaden in A Thread For Random RPG Musings   
    I'm terrible at drawing maps. I'm the kind of draftsman who draws a straight line when I'm trying for a crooked one. I save every game-applicable map I come across, in hope of repurposing them later.
  24. Like
    Doc Democracy reacted to tkdguy in A Thread For Random RPG Musings   
    I usually cobble my homebrew campaigns from different sources. I'm not good at designing urban areas, but I have city maps from different rpg products, so I just adapt them to my game. So what if my fantasy version of San Francisco looks more like Lankhmar? It's FANTASY after all. It just makes my life easier.
  25. Like
    Doc Democracy reacted to Barwickian in Favourite Mediaeval Setting?   
    Those interested in a medieval England campaign set during the reigns of Kings Richard and John might be interested to know I'm working on a setting book for Chivalry & Sorcery entitled Sherwood. As well as C&S rules it will have an inbuilt system based on Colin Speirs' rules-light Essence Core and stats for HârnMaster. We've no plans to include Hero stats in the book, but as an old Hero fan I'd like to do a free PDF appendix with Hero stats (note that 'like' is not the same as 'definitely will'). Either way, setting information will far outweigh rules information.

    You can see much of the raw research for the project on my World Anvil site, Fabula Mundi.

    The baseline setting is built as far as possible on detailed historical and archaeological research. The setting covers everywhere from York and Skipton to the north and Lichfield and Grantham in the south, including the whole of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, and parts of Lincolnshire (including Lincoln), Staffordshire and Leicestershire. The area is chosen such that the published map will print on A0 paper (c. 33 inches by 48 inches) at a scale of 2 miles to the inch.

    The setting is being written with three primary modes in mind:

    Historical - the baseline for the setting. As much historical and archaeological detail as I can squeeze in and make interesting. I'm knowingly allowing only three anachronisms, which I'll explain below.
    Medieval Fantasy - the historical setting with the prodigies and wonders written about by chroniclers of the day: devils, revenants, sorcerers (low and high magic), saints' miracles, werewolves, and things 'neither of heaven nor of hell' (the fey, but of the medieval variety not the early modern variety).
    Romance - modern ideas overlaid on the historical setting, such as the modern versions of Robin Hood, Saxon rebels versus Norman masters, powers of light and darkness, pagan survivals and so on. Think Ivanhoe, any Robin Hood film or book, and Graham Staplehurst's Robin Hood (ICE), or the Robin of Sherwood TV show that inspired it.
     
    Within that there's guidance for several themes: the nobles campaign, the urban/merchant campaign, the outlaw campaign, the agent campaign (PCs working as troubleshooters for the crown, church or a great noble), and a little guidance on specialised campaigns (the monastic and the village life campaigns). 

    Known anachronisms: The Trip to Jerusalem pub in Nottingham claims to date from 1189 and to have been a meeting place for crusaders heading out on Richard's Crusade. The first recorded pub on the site was in the 17th century, when it was known as The Pilgrim. Nottingham's two other pubs that claim to be medieval, The Bell and the Salutation. are in buildings dendro-dated to the 1440s. The Salutation claims to date from 1240, but its first recorded mention is in 1414, when it was known as The Archangel Gabriel Salutes the Virgin Mary. And that is a pub name I definitely want in the setting. Since I'll be including the Sal, it seems churlish to exclude the Trip and the Bell.

    The attached map is a reduced-scale work in progress. It's built in QGIS. I haven't included the villages in this version as they clutter too much at this resolution. I've a lot more information than I can put on to the printed map, so things like feudal holdings, parish boundaries, rural deaneries and peculiars and so on, will likely be done as individual maps in relevant chapters. I plan to release the map alongside the book as a layered PDF, allowing people to turn the various details on and off.

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